The present invention relates to a mobile office environment for a vehicle. In particular, the invention is a printer station for a motor vehicle. Applicant anticipates that the invention could be useful particularly with police cars and other public safety vehicles but understands it may be used in other vehicles such as military vehicles, and other vehicles needing a printer station, such as vehicles utilized by insurance companies. Motor vehicles adapted for use by law enforcement and public safety officers are commonly outfitted with the latest electronic technologies such as digital video cameras, notebook computers, printers, facsimile machines, mobile data terminals and digital scanners. All the while, this new equipment must share cabin space with traditional add-on equipment such as radios, sirens and lights.
Safety and practical issues further complicate the arrangement of the new devices within the motor vehicle cabin. For example, any equipment added to the cabin must be positioned such that safety devices such as airbags and seat belts continue to function as intended. Moreover, any new equipment added to a motor vehicle cabin must be securely mounted to the vehicle to prevent damage to the vehicle, its occupants and the equipment itself during ingress and egress of passengers, acceleration, or sudden turns or stops. In most currently-intended uses of the invention, the equipment must be accessible to the user. Mounting systems which place the printer in the trunk or back seat are impractical and not desired.
The invention is specifically related to a printer, which is one of the most recent types of equipment to be added primarily to law enforcement and public safety vehicles. Most law enforcement or public safety vehicles need printers to make more effective and efficient use of mobile data terminals or laptop/notebook computers in the vehicle. It should be understood that modern printers often serve more than one function. For example, modern printers have multiple functions in addition to the printing function, including scanning, faxing and photocopying. Therefore, for the purpose of this invention the term “printer” includes any peripheral device that can be used as a printer, even if it has additional functions.
Printers are cumbersome devices to safely and unobtrusively mount within the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. The prior art has attempted to mediate this problem by mounting printers to pedestals secured to the vehicle's floorboard or to brackets connected to the dashboard. However, pedestal mounted printers take up much of the space needed for other pedestal mounted devices. Dashboard mounted printers interfere with space needed for other equipment and, potentially, with the driver's field of vision. What is needed is a vehicle printer station for securely, safely and unobtrusively mounting a printer within a motor vehicle so that it is accessible to the user.